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The Torah instructs us to go in the ways of Hashem in order to preserve the BS"D tzelem Elokim that was implanted within us at birth. Included in that mitzvah is that we should make decisions for ourselves. Many resha'im feel that they are exercising their bechirah chofshish to a greater extent than the tzadikim To: [email protected] because they are daring enough to be so original as to go against the wishes From: [email protected] of Hashem. This is clearly a misjudgment. Years ago this story used to be told about a couple that had their neighbors in their home to play a card game. The wife, who always dominated her husband, instructed when the bell rang, "Max, go answer the door". When the company sat down to play their game, the wife instructed her husband, "Max, bring in some drinks". Every two minutes she was giving her husband instructions and he was INTERNET PARSHA SHEET following all of her orders. In the middle of the card game, the wife wanted ON BEREISHIS - 5777 to show the company how obedient her husband is so she instructed him, "Max, go climb under the table and sit on the floor". Max followed orders once again. After several minutes the wife said to the husband, "Max you can In our 22nd year! To receive this parsha sheet, go to http://www.parsha.net and click come out from under the table and sit on your chair". The husband did not Subscribe or send a blank e-mail to [email protected] Please also budge and after another two minutes she said, "Max, you can come up now". copy me at [email protected] A complete archive of previous issues is now available at http://www.parsha.net It is also fully searchable. Max did not budge but stuck his finger out from under the table and said, ______"Tillie, I will not come out! I will show you who is boss." and he continued to sit on the floor under the table! Sponsored in memory of We all have bechira chofshish and are the "ba'alim" over our lives. Yes, we Chaim Yissachar z”l ben Yechiel Zaydel Dov can decide with impunity to violate Hashem's mitzvos, and thereby have the ______feeling as if we are exercising our bechira to a greater extent than the To sponsor a parsha sheet (proceeds to tzedaka) contact tzadikim; but this type of showing "who is boss" is like Max's ridiculous [email protected] decision to continue to sit on the floor under the table with all the company ______present. Yes, he showed his wife who was the "boss", but he did so in a very silly inappropriate way. from: [email protected] to: [email protected] date: Thu, Oct We should all imitate the ways of Hashem by exercising our bechirah 27, 2016 at 10:07 PM subject: Rabbi Hershel Schachter - Tzelem Elokim chofshis in a most positive, constructive and creative fashion. Rabbi Hershel Schachter [1] See also Freedom of Choice - Editor. Tzelem Elokim Copyright © 2016 by TorahWeb.org. All rights reserved The Torah tells us that man was created b'zelem elokim. The Rambam (in ______Moreh Nevuchim) points out that this clearly cannot mean that man has the same physical features as Hashem since Hashem has no body at all. The From: Rabbi Yissocher Frand
1 appreciated. Be a nice guy and do the tova [favor], even though it is not I always think of telling the young couple: “Wait, 20+ years from now, you appreciated! The Maharal infers a principle of proper behavior from this are going to be the ones who are bawling your eyes out!” What is the reason Rashi: Do not do a favor for a person who cannot appreciate it. for this ubiquitous emotion? Rashi then presents another idea: “When Adam came and realized that they Of course, there is an element of these being “tears of joy”; but there is so (i.e. – the rains) are a necessity for the world, he prayed for them and they much effort and so much emotion put into the endeavor of raising a child that came down, and the trees and types of vegetation sprouted.” Rav Shimshon invariably there is sadness at the event marking the child’s permanent Pincus, z”l, in his wonderful sefer, She’arim B’Tefilla, makes the following departure from the parental home. In a certain sense, the parents have the comment: All this vegetation was right there – the shrubs, the trees, the feeling – “It is over.” That stage of life has now ended. grass, the plants, the flowers, the beautiful earth – but it was necessary for So what is the purpose of this pasuk (al ken ya’azov ish es aviv v’imo)? someone to pray for it. Once Adam prayed for it, then that tremendous favor Why does the Torah emphasize it? (of rainfall) comes automatically. Rav Yitzchak Yedidyah Frankel told his future son-in-law, homiletically, The lesson is that sometimes the Master of the World is ready to shower a that while in Hebrew the root of the word “azav” means leave, the Hebrew bounty on us, but unless we pray for it, we will not receive it. That was the word for ‘inheritance’ is also the word izavon. Therefore, he suggested that situation over here. The Ribono shel Olam intended that there should be a the interpretation of the pasuk “al ken ya’azov…” is that everyone should creation with plants and trees and shrubs and grass and flowers, but He was leave their parents, but that he should take with him the izavon – the heritage not prepared to “release them” until someone was there to (a) appreciate of his parents. The pasuk is not talking about the monetary inheritance of them and (b) actually pray for them. There are tremendous favors from one’s parents, but rather the values of what he saw in his parents’ house. To Heaven that may await us, but we need to ask for them, we need to daven be successful in building a new Jewish home, a man must take with him the that G-d’s favors be “released” to us. values he has seen in his own parental home. The Secret To Building A Bayis Ne’eman B’Yisrael Why did Rav Frankel tell the young Rabbi Lau this vort? He told him, Following the creation of Chava, Adam states: “This time it is bone of my “You are a fine eligible young man; but you are an orphan. You were raised bones and flesh of my flesh. This shall be called Woman (isha), for from in an institution. My only worry about you is that you won’t have a tradition man (ish) was she taken”. [Bereshis 2:23]. Then the Torah writes “Therefore from your parents of how to build a home. You were not old enough to a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife and they shall appreciate how your father treated your mother, to see how your mother become one flesh.” [Bereshis 2:24]. This last pasuk is the basis of the treated your father, to see how you treat siblings, and so on and so forth. institution of marriage throughout the world. This is my worry about you.” Not long ago, I read the autobiography of Rav Yisrael Meir Lau, who has Rabbi Lau writes that he almost chocked up on the spot when Rabbi Frankel held different Rabbinic positions in Eretz Yisrael, among them the told him this and I do not understand why Rabbi Frankel needed to tell this Ashkenazik Chief Rabbi. He has had a fascinating life and wrote an to his future son-in-law. The concept is a beautiful concept: Every Jewish autobiography entitled Do Not Raise A Hand Against the Boy (in the child, in order to be able to build a new home, must take with him the original Hebrew “Al Tishlach Yadcha El Ha’Naar“) [based on Bereshis izavon, the heritage of his family. This is the precondition for being able to 22:120]. successfully cling to one’s wife and to build a new home on one’s own. This Rav Herschel Schachter (1918-2013) –- who was an Orthodox army is the secret to success in building a Bayis Ne’eman B’Yisrael. chaplain with the U.S. Army during the liberation of the camps — found the Transcribed by David Twersky; Jerusalem [email protected] young Rabbi Lau among a pile of dead bodies. Rabbi Lau became a “poster Technical Assistance by Dovid Hoffman; Baltimore, MD [email protected] child” for liberation from the concentration camps. His picture was seen A complete catalogue can be ordered from the Yad Yechiel Institute, PO Box 511, throughout the world — the five-year-old child who survived the Owings Mills MD 21117-0511. Call (410) 358-0416 or e-mail [email protected] or visit http://www.yadyechiel.org/ for further information. concentration camps! He was one of the youngest survivors when the camps To Support Project Genesis- Torah.org Rav Frand © 2016 by Torah.org. were liberated – a five year old child in Buchenwald! Both his parents had Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Join the Jewish Learning been killed. Rabbi Lau had a sixteen-year-old brother who saved him during Revolution! Torah.org: The Judaism Site brings this and a host of other classes to you all the trials and tribulations and horror of the concentration camp. It is a every week. Visit http://torah.org or email [email protected] to get your own free copy very poignant book. of this mailing. Permission is granted to redistribute, but please give proper attribution Rabbi Lau traces his whole history of how he got to Eretz Yisrael and how and copyright to the author and Torah.org. Both the author and Torah.org reserve he was taken in by an aunt and an uncle; how he went to Cheder and then certain rights. Email [email protected] for full information. Torah.org: The how he went to Yeshiva Kol Torah and later the Ponnevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Judaism Site Project Genesis, Inc. 2833 Smith Ave., Suite 225 Baltimore, MD 21209 http://www.torah.org/ [email protected] (410) 602-1350 FAX: (410) 602-1351 Brak. It is a fascinating book.
Rabbi Lau writes that it came time for him to get married. He was and is a ______very charismatic, capable, and talented individual. He must have had quite a reputation as a single Yeshiva bochur. There was a Jew at the time who was From: Chanan Morrison
2 What is the nature of this special illumination introduced at the beginning of After describing what Hashem created on the first day of Creation, the Creation? Torah indicates that the day came to an end and uses the phrase “vayhi erev The Sages taught (Shemot Rabbah 15:22) that certain topics mentioned vayhi voker…,” “and there was evening and then there was morning…” cryptically in the Torah were later elucidated by David in the book of (Beraishis, 1:5). This phrase is repeated following the description of the Psalms. For example, Psalm 104 speaks poetically of the creation of the creation which took place on each of the other five days of Creation (ibid. heavens: Pesukim 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). The Mishnah and Gemara in Chulin (83a) “[God] wrapped Himself in light like a garment and spread out the heavens understood from this phrase, as explained by Rashi (ibid. s.v. “ma’aseh like a curtain.” (104:3) In this instance, however, it is difficult to claim that Beraishis”), that according to the Torah, the new day begins at night, the verse in Psalms explains the Torah’s account; in fact, it contradicts it. meaning that in considering the 24 hour day, the night-time precedes the day The Torah states that God created light after creating heaven and earth (Gen. time. When night begins, then, a new calendar day has begun as well. 1:1-3). In Psalms, however, the order is reversed: God first created the light, The question is precisely how to define the beginning of night, and and only afterward the heavens. consequently, the end of the previous day according to Halacha. This is a Chomer and Tzurah question which obviously has ramifications for a great many Mitzvos and The philosophers distinguished between chomer, matter, and tzurah, the Halachos which depend upon the end of the old calendar day or the form or function of an object. For example, wood is a raw material (chomer) beginning of the new one, and is the subject of much more discussion among that may be used to produce many different functional objects. Once it is Rishonim and Acharonim. For example, regarding the latest time one may designated for use as a table, the wood also has tzurah, form, having acquired daven Minchah in the afternoon, the Mishnah in Berachos (26a) quotes one a particular purpose. view that it may be done until evening, that is, until the end of the day. Rashi At the very beginning of Creation, there was only chomer. God created (ibid. s.v. “ad ha’erev”) understands this to mean until nightfall, while numerous elements, but they were without tzurah. They lacked function and Rabbeinu Yonah (ibid. 18a in the pages of the Rif s.v. “tefillas hamincha”) purpose. This state of disorder and dissonance is referred to as darkness - learns that it means until sunset. The discussions relating to the first topic of “darkness on the surface of the depths” (Gen. 1:2). The Torah calls this Maseches Berachos, focusing on the time for Maariv and the evening Kerias unstable primeval stage Tohu and Bohu, indicating that it was chaotic and Shema, also touch on this question. empty of form. HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik discusses the precise definitions of day and Then God created the Ohr Ha-Ganuz. This special light played a critical role night and their application to various Halachos in an article on this very in Creation. Just as regular light allows us to see and relate to our subject in one of his Seforim (Shiurim lizecher Abba mari z”l vol. 1, surroundings, the Hidden Light enabled the different elements of creation to beginning on pg. 91). He mentions the interesting point there (pg. 102) that interact with one another. It dispelled the initial state of darkness, when all the Torah itself seems to leave us in doubt as to when the old day ends and objects were isolated and disconnected from one another. the new day begins. In this Parsha, the first Posuk cited above (ibid. Posuk 5) To use the terminology of the philosophers, the illumination created on the declares that Hashem called the light “yom”, day, and He called the darkness first day of Creation stamped a functional tzurah on the material chomer. laylah”, night. The implication of this Posuk is that the day is defined by the Through this special light, the universe’s myriad objects acquired purpose presence of light, and the night by the presence of darkness. Thus, even after and function and were able to work together towards a common goal. the sun has set, the night (and hence a new calendar day) has not yet begun To Wear Light because it’s still light out; night begins only once it’s dark. The Midrash (Breishit Rabbah 3:4) elucidates the verse in Psalms, However, another Posuk in this Parsha (ibid. Posuk 16) states that the sun is explaining that “God wrapped Himself in light like a garment and to be out during the day and the moon during the night. The implication of illuminated the splendor of His glory from one end of the world to the this Posuk is that the day is defined by the presence of the sun; once the sun other.” has set, the day is over and the night begins, even though it is still light out. What does it mean that “God wore light”? In short, the basic questions are what moment defines the end of the old day, This phrase indicates that the light took on God’s qualities of oneness and whether when the sun sets or when the sky gets dark, and how we treat the unity, just as a garment takes on the shape of the one wearing it. When “God time known as “Bein HaShemashos”, or twilight, when the sun has already wrapped Himself in light,” this means that He introduced an underlying unity set, but the sky is not yet dark. into all aspects of creation, “from one end of the world to the other.” Another important question is how to precisely define nightfall. Even if we In summary: the description in Psalms does not contradict the account in assume that the new day begins not at sunset but when it gets dark, how Genesis. At first, God created heaven and earth in an isolated state, as exactly can one figure out when that is? How long after sunset is this time? chomer without form and purpose. This was the unstable state of Tohu and One of the many issues that depends upon this question is the issue of when Bohu described in Genesis, when the diverse elements of creation existed in Shabbos is over. Because of the aforementioned doubt about whether the chaotic darkness, lacking an underlying unity. new day beings as sunset or nightfall, we observe the Shabbos (and Yom Then God said, “There shall be light,” creating the special Ohr Ha-Ganuz, Tov) on both ends: Shabbos begins at sunset on Friday afternoon, but does the Hidden Light with which He bound the matter together with a common not end until it gets dark on Saturday night; the Mishnah Berurah (Orach purpose. God “wrapped Himself in the light,” thereby giving the light His Chaim siman 261 seif katan 23) and the Kaf HaChaim (ibid. os 1) elaborate trait of oneness and making it a unifying force. After creating this unifying on some of the details about this. The question is how long after sunset one light, God “spread out the heavens” and stabilized the universe. The must wait. continuation of the psalm describes the stability of the world after the The Gemara in Pesachim (94a) states that the time from sunset until it gets creation of light: “He founded the earth on its foundations, so that it will dark is equivalent to the time it takes to walk for “Mil”. Exactly how long never falter” (104:5). that takes is the subject of another dispute among the Poskim, as presented (Sapphire from the Land of Israel. Adapted from Midbar Shur, pp. 95-96) by the Mishnah Berurah (Orach Chaim siman 959 seif katan 15), and ______elaborated on in the Biur Halacha (ibid. s.v. havi). The Vilna Gaon (Beiur HaGra ibid. s.v. vishiur) and the Chok Yaakov (ibid seif katan 10) discuss http://www.yuhsb.org/#!student-publications/c1w8w this matter at length. The most widely accepted view is that one “Mil” can be http://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/teacher.cfm/81869/shema-koleinu-editor/ walked in 18 minutes; the time between sunset and darkness, which is four Shema Koleinu | Yeshiva University High School for Boys “Mil”, would thus be 72 minutes. The Time Shabbos Ends The Gemara in Shabbos (35a), however, implies that from sunset to nightfall Rabbi Michael Taubes is only ¾ of a “Mil”, which is only 13 ½ minutes, as explained in Tosafos
3 there (ibid. s.v. trei). To resolve this contradiction, Tosafos there (ibid.) and It is this complex capacity to speak, think and choose between alternative in Pesachim (ibid. s.v. Rav Yehuda) quotes Rabbeinu Tam who explains that courses of action, that is at once our glory, our burden and our shame. When there are actually two stages to sunset. The first is what people commonly we do good we are little lower than the angels. When we do evil we fall call sunset and what he calls “the beginning of sunset”, and actual nightfall lower than the beasts. Why then did God take the risk of creating the one takes place four Mil (72 minutes) after this, as the Gemara in Pesachim form of life capable of destroying the very order He had made and declared (ibid.) indicates. But then there is what he calls “the end of sunset”, which good? Why did God create us? takes place ¾ of a Mil (3 ½ minutes) before this actual nightfall, and this is That is the question posed by the Gemara in Sanhedrin: the stage which the Gemara in Shabbos (ibid.) refers to when stating that When the Holy One, blessed be He, came to create man, He created a group from sunset to nightfall is ¾ of a Mil. It seems clear from Tosafos in of ministering angels and asked them, “Do you agree that we should make Menachos (20 b. s.v. nifsal), though, that Rabbeinu Tam considers the time man in our image?” until the last ¾ of a Mil before this actual nightfall (that is, until 58 ½) They replied, “Sovereign of the Universe, what will be his deeds?” minutes after what people commonly call sunset) to be daytime for all God showed them the history of mankind. Halachos. This is followed by 13 ½ minutes called Bein HaShemashos, and The angels replied, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” [Let man finally, 72 minutes after what people commonly call sunset, comes nightfall. not be created]. Consequently, on then, after those 72 minutes, would Shabbos be over. God destroyed the angels. Although many Poskim accept this view, including the Shulchan Aruch He created a second group, and asked them the same question, and they (Orach Chaim siman 261 seif 2), the Vilna Gaon (Beiur HaGra ibid. s.v. gave the same answer. shehu) questions it, saying that one can tell by looking outside that darkness God destroyed them. falls long before 72 minutes after what people commonly call sunset, and it’s He created a third group of angels, and they replied, “Sovereign of the difficult to consider the entire period of 58 ½ minutes after that sunset to be Universe, the first and second group of angels told You not to create man, daytime when it’s obviously already dark out. He therefore concludes that and it did not avail them. You did not listen. What then can we say but this: sunset has only one stage, and when the sun sets, Bein HaShemashos begins The universe is Yours. Do with it as You wish.” immediately and lasts for ¾ of a Mil, or 13 ½ minutes, after which comes And God created man. nightfall, as the Gemara in Shabbos (ibid.) states. The 4 Mil period of the But when it came to the generation of the Flood, and then to the generation Gemara in Pesachim (ibid.) is the time from sunset until a later time at night, of those who built the Tower of Babel, the angels said to God, “Were not the when all the stars are visible, which is relevant for other purposes. The Gaon first angels right? See how great is the corruption of mankind.” (ibid.) adds, however, that this ¾ of a Mil represents Bein HaShemashos And God replied (Isaiah 46:4), “Even to old age I will not change, and even only in Eretz Yisrael and Bavel, and only at certain times. In other locations, to grey hair, I will still be patient.” [Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 38b] depending on their latitude and longitude and depending on the time of year, Technically the Gemara is addressing a stylistic challenge in the text. For the time between sunset and nightfall would be different, and nightfall can be every other act of creation in Genesis 1, the Torah tells us, “God said, ‘Let determined by seeing three small stars in the sky (see ibid. in Beiur Halacha there be’ … And there was…” In the case of the creation of humankind ibid. s.v. mitechilas). In the New York area, it is generally assumed that at alone, there is a preface, a prelude. Then God said, “Let us make mankind in least with respect to the end of Shabbos, nightfall is about 42 minutes after our image, in our likeness …” Who is the “us”? And why the preamble? sunset according to this view, which is commonly followed. In their seemingly innocent and childlike – actually subtle and profound – Nonetheless, many people do wait longer to conclude Shabbos, following way the sages answered both questions by saying that with (to quote Hamlet) the view of Rabbeinu Tam. Again, there is much discussion as to what he an enterprise of this pith and moment, God consulted with the angels. They meant by 72 minutes after sunset, and whether that time too varies with one’s were the “us”. location and the time of year, and hence there are different customs. The But now the question becomes very deep indeed. For, in creating humans, Mishnah Berurah, while in general accepting the Vilna Gaon’s definition of God brought into existence the one life form with the sole exception of sunset (see siman 233 ibid. seif katan 14) recommends in the Biur Halacha Himself, capable of freedom and choice. That is what the phrase means when (ibid. siman 261 s.v. shehu) that one should wait 72 minutes after sunset it says, “Let us make mankind in our image after our likeness.” For the before ending Shabbos, seemingly regardless of location or season, although salient fact is that God has no image. To make an image of God is the he quotes other views. Rav Moshe Feinstein (shu”t Igros Moshe, Orach archetypal act of idolatry. Chaim vol. 1 siman 24) suggests this as well. It should be noted that it is This means not just the obvious fact that God is invisible. He cannot be always proper to add a few minutes on to Shabbos both at the beginning and seen. He cannot be identified with anything in nature: not the sun, the moon, at the end, as indicated by the Gemara in Rosh HaShana (9a) and implied by thunder, lightning, the ocean or any of the other objects or forces people the Gemara in Shabbos (118b), and as codified in the Shulchan Aruch worshipped in those days. In this superficial sense, God has no image. That, (Orach Chaim ibid. siman 261 and siman 293 seif 1). wrote Sigmund Freud in his last book, Moses and Monotheism, was ______Judaism’s greatest contribution. By worshipping an invisible God, Jews From: Shabbat Shalom
4 first human child, Cain, murdered the second, Abel, and within a short space one should always say to one's self that the world was created for me alone. of time the world was filled with violence. Now, naturally, overdoing this idea leads to hubris and arrogance and sin In one of the most searing passages in the whole of Tanakh, we read at the itself. But in proper measure, it is the necessary ingredient to making life end of this week’s parsha: meaningful and to propel us on the path of accomplishment and worthiness. God saw that man’s wickedness on earth was increasing. Every impulse of The realization by an individual of one's own importance in the heavenly his innermost thought was only for evil, all day long. God regretted that He scheme of life and generations is the key to one’s sense of self-worth. had made man on earth, and He was pained to His very core. (Gen. 6:5-6) Without that sense, one can almost never achieve either spiritual or temporal Hence the angels’ question, the ultimate question at the heart of faith. Why success. It is this feeling of self-worth and the importance of an individual did God, knowing the risks and dangers, make a species that could and did that creates the resilience that so characterizes human behavior and the rebel against Him, devastate the natural environment, hunt species to history of human civilization. I think that this is one of the most important extinction, and oppress and kill his fellow man? messages that this week’s Torah reading can communicate to us. Especially The Talmud, imagining a conversation between God and the angels, is in these turbulent times when nothing is clear to us any longer, we need to suggesting a tension within the mind of God Himself. The answer God gives strengthen ourselves in our beliefs and our service to God and man. the angels is extraordinary: “Even to old age I will not change, and even to Shabbat shalom Rabbi Berel Wein grey hair, I will still be patient.” Meaning: I, God, am prepared to wait. If it ______takes ten generations for a Noah to emerge, and another ten for an Abraham, I will be patient. However many times humans disappoint Me, I will not From: Shema Yisrael Torah Network
5 He is asked, Ayeca - 'Where do you stand with your G-d-given mission? handouts that kind people gave him. The children would delight in rousing How much of your mission have you completed?'" The Rebbe then asked the his ire and running away as he hurled epitaphs after them. minister, "In the x number of years (the Rebbe knew how old the minister One day, Rav Lopiansky's father noticed this and called his son over. No was) that you have lived, did you achieve your Heavenly designated goals - angry yelling; no loud rebuke - just soft and gentle words. "You see this or did you fall short? This is what G-d asks each and every one of us: man?" his father asked. "He was born a cute little baby whose mother Ayeca?" stroked him lovingly. She cooed to him and delighted when he cooed back Perhaps Ayeca has a dual interpretation: one which addresses the individual and smiled at her. His father secretly hoped that he would achieve a position himself; and one which implores the individual to ask concerning others. and stature in life, which he regrettably had not. He himself began dreaming Each and every one of us has a path of life in which we are the products of and fantasizing about what he would be one day. He had brothers and sisters our own personal history, a series of events in our background in which we who played and fought with him, as all siblings do. have interacted with people, both very close - such as parents and family - "And now look at what has become of him. Is it not a tragedy? Should one and others, who have played significant roles in our life stories. We should not be moved to tears at what happened to him? And you are compounding ask ourselves Ayeca - How did I get here? What have I gone through to the tragedy by taking a tzelem Elokim, a person who was created in reach this point? What were the factors that have influenced my life - both Hashem's image, and making 'dirt' out of him." With these words, his father positive and negative? Now that you realize how it has all led up to this softly concluded his rebuke. moment, what are you going to do about it? Are you a success, or is your life We have all met the type of person that fits this description. Every a mess? How did this happen? What led up to this point? The same piercing community is graced with people who, instead of achieving the aspirations questions apply to the way we view other people. Do we judge them and dreams of their parents, become "glitches" in the system, relegated to according to their present demeanor, or do we ask Ayeca - How did you get living a life of loneliness, supported by the kindness of decent, kind-hearted here? What events and people have catalyzed your success or failure? people, who recognize the significance of Ayeca? How did you get here? Adam HaRishon had sinned. The first step toward reconciliation was Sadly, many of us tend to ignore these people, because they make us teshuvah, repentance. In order to repent a sin, one should first introspect the uncomfortable. I am not sure if the people themselves make us root of his behavior, the pathology that led up to that moment. Likewise, a uncomfortable or is it their history, the reason that they are here today under young person, a middle-aged or older individual who has fallen on hard such wretched circumstances, that makes us uncomfortable. Indeed, there, if times and distanced himself from Hashem, must first make a self-diagnosis not for the grace of G-d, go I. We are lucky. They have not been so fortunate. as to how he had plummeted to this low point. We should not judge people By asking, Ayeca? more often, we might prevent the next person from according to the here and now, but Ayeca - How did they get here? becoming a statistic. Allow me to present the following vignettes, one of which saw the pages of Peninim a number of years ago, but its message is timeless. First story: Hashem turned to Hevel and his offering, but to Kayin and his offering He Rebbetzin Dessler, wife of the Michtav MeiEliyahu, was in Lithuania did not turn… this annoyed Kayin exceedingly, and his countenance fell… together with her young daughter (the future Rebbetzin Geltzeiler) when Kayin rose up against his brother Hevel and killed him. (4:4,8) World War II broke out. They could not return home to England since their The Chasam Sofer, zl, teaches us a profound lesson, which, coming at the host country was at war with Germany. As a result, they were displaced to beginning of the Torah, should serve as a guide for us on how to view life Australia, which was neutral. This became their home for the duration of the through the lens of Torah. Hevel offered a korban, sacrifice. Hashem was war years. pleased with Hevel's offering. At the end of the day - where did this korban One day, mother and daughter took a walk and passed a pawn shop which get him? What benefit did Hevel accrue as a result of Hashem's turning to his had a number of jewelry pieces displayed in its picture window. When the korban? [This is a question likely to be asked by someone whose belief in young girl oohed and aahed over the jewelry, her mother responded that Hashem and faith in the Torah system are, at best, deficient. A believing Jew while it was true that each piece was quite beautiful, even captivating, every does not ask such questions, because he has faith in Hashem.] Now, let us item in the window had a history. Someone had been forced to sell her see what his korban achieved for Hevel. On page two, we see Hevel lying on jewelry for economic reasons. This might have been a cherished family the ground, bleeding to death from all of the stab wounds inflicted upon him heirloom, but the family had fallen on hard times and bread had become by his jealous brother, Kayin. So, to wrap up Hevel's short life: Hashem more important than jewelry. "We should not take pleasure from someone turned to His korban. This was followed by Hevel's untimely demise in the else's misfortune," the Rebbetzin told her daughter. most painful manner. He left the world alone, leaving over no wife, no The simple lesson to be derived herein is how far one person's sensitivity for progeny, no legacy, nothing by which to be remembered. This is the seeming another human being can extend. She saw a necklace in the store window end of a very sad story. and was immediately aware that it represented another human being's Let us now look at Kayin, Hevel's brother and murderer. Hashem did not misfortune. Others saw dazzling jewelry. She saw the history of the jewelry. turn to Kayin's korban. This catalyzed Kayin's envy and ire, resulting in his It represented a person's economic fall. It reflected someone's need. This is murder of his brother, Hevel. He escaped and was on the "run" for seven how this special woman viewed a piece of jewelry in a pawnshop. Ayeca? generations, during which time his family propagated. He saw the birth of How did it get here? Everything/everybody has a history. Take it into thousands of his descendants, the homes they built, the cities they had consideration. established. In the end, he, too, died - but after having lived a full life replete The second story is taken from a tribute rendered by Horav Aharon with nachas and seeing the transmission of his legacy (whatever it was Lopiansky, Shlita, to the memory of his father, a student of Slabodka worth). It almost makes one wonder: Hevel the tzaddik, righteous and pious, Yeshivah, where they taught gadlus ha'adam, the greatness of man, the dies an untimely, miserable death, leaving hardly anyone to mourn him. overriding significance of every individual as being a creation of Hashem. Kayin, his messed up brother, lived for seven generations and was the They would daven in one of the large old shuls that graced New York. These progenitor of thousands of descendants. Is it fair? shuls were also home to a number of homeless Jews who had fallen on hard The Chasam Sofer asks us to turn the page and view the Hevel/Kayin times and would use the shul as their "base of operations." tragedy from the Torah's perspective. Hevel died, but his pure, holy A lively group of ten-year-old boys accompanied their fathers to shul. Since neshamah ascended to Heaven to be misgalgel, transmigration of the soul, davening took a long time, and the boys were bored, they searched for things into Shes, son of Adam and Chavah, who established the world. True, it took to do. One of their favorite pastimes was chasing a wretched, homeless man 130 years for this to take place, but Hashem has His reasons. After Shes who used the shul's furnace room as an "apartment." Like many others like died, Hevel's neshamah returned in the body of none other than Noach ish him, his clothing smelled, he was slightly unhinged, and he survived on the tzaddik, who played a leading role in the saving of the world. Noach, too,
6 died, but Hevel's neshamah returned once again after hundreds of years, this Joshua (Yehoshua) who will assume the mantle of leadership after Moshe’s time in the body of our quintessential leader, Moshe Rabbeinu! Not bad for a death, also poignantly described here. legacy! The word neshamah is an acronym for: nun - Noach; shin - Shes; Bereishit, on the other hand, shares the creation story including the creation mem - Moshe; Hay - Hevel! By the way, do you know what happened to all of Adam and Eve, the garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit, the story of the of Kayin's thousands upon thousands of descendants? They perished in the first murder (Cain and Abel), the debacle of the Tower of Babel, 2 and the Mabul, Flood! So, who had the legacy - Kayin or Hevel? descent of mankind into violence and pagan idolatry leading to the This teaches us, explains the Chasam Sofer, that it is all about Olam Habba, destruction of the world in the following portion of Noach . Is there a the World to Come. What we see here - or do not see here - is meaningless. thematic connection hidden here? One interesting connection does exist, at It is what we will one day see (if we are worthy) in Olam Habba that matters. least in some of the commentaries: ______Rashi (France; 1040-1105) asks an interesting question regarding the nature of the book we call the Torah. Clearly, the Torah is not a history book, as http://www.orayta.org/ https://www.isralight.org there are major parts of history missing from its pages, and small amounts of Small Tastings of Torah, Judaism and Spirituality time take up far too disproportionate a part of its space for it to be focused on From Rav Binny Freedman history. Rather suggests Rashi (Genesis 1:1), this is a book of laws (Portion of Bereishit) (Mitzvoth) given to the Jewish people; the recipe for how we are meant to He was a tough kid, with obvious ‘stuff’ going on inside; always getting into live the life Hashem (G-d) created us to live. In that event, however, one fights, spending a fair amount of time in the hallway, and always with that wonders why the Torah begins with the creation of the world rather than sad, lost look. with the first mitzvoth (laws) given to the Jewish people in the story of the Many years ago, when I was first exploring the world of education and Exodus from Egypt? teaching, I decided to try my hand at different types of teaching to see who Rashi’s solution is that the Torah is telling us that Hashem created and what I would most enjoy teaching, and what really spoke to me. everything and thus has the right to give it to whomever he chooses. And one Formal and informal, in schools and summer camps, for a few years I taught day (recall Rashi is writing in Medieval Christendom in the period of the just about every type of audience I could find, with an eye towards Crusades …) when the Jewish people retake possession of the land of Israel, discovering the type of teaching I truly loved and could spend the rest of my the nations will say we are thieves who have stolen the land, at which point life with . One year, I took a job teaching first graders; to see what it would we will respond that Hashem (G-d) created the land and can give it to be like. whomever he so chooses. As part of that experience, I underwent a one day seminar designed to train Putting aside for the moment how incredible it is that Rashi, nearly a young inexperienced teachers how to look for tell-tale signs of abuse at home thousand years ago, is describing exactly what is happening today, why is …. this the answer to his question? Why, at the beginning of the Torah, is it This was probably why I became suspicious when Gilad (not his real name) important to know that the land of Israel is ours because G-d gave it to us? missed yet another day of school due to an accident at home. This time he And at the other end of the Torah it seems there is also an unexpected focus had fallen down and hurt his wrist, but when he came in a couple days later on the land of Israel: many of the blessing Moshe gives to the tribes all seem with a note from home, I noticed a couple of bruises that did not seem to to be focused on land: Beginning with Moshe’s last experience seeing the match his story, and decided to report the case to the school principal as well entire borders of Israel ( Deuteronomy (Devarim) 34:1-6) “Dan… springs as the social worker. Once I shared my concerns I was pretty much taken out from the Bashan…” ( 33: 22) “Naftali … shall inherit sea and south …” ( 33: of the loop, and would never have known the parents had been called in for 23) “Blessed is he who elongates Gad ( to the East…)” ( (33:20) And an interview but for the father’s accosting me in a school hallway upon somehow what seems most important to Moshe at the end of his life is to see realizing I was the teacher who had made the initial report. the land, and remind the Jewish people of their covenant to inherit it …. That incident confirmed my suspicion that poor little Gilad had been a (34:1-6) victim of abuse for some time, and it obviously caused me to review all of Why the focuses on the land of Israel from the beginning of the Torah till its my experiences with this sad five year old boy in a different light. Can you end? There is a detail in the portion of Bereishit which may serve to blame a kid for getting into fights when he learns such violence at home? Is enlighten us. After murdering his brother Abel (Hevel), and being sentenced there even a point to trying to teach him book smarts when he is by G-d to wander the land, Cain (Kayin) has a son whom he names Hanoch experiencing such life pain? It became clear that my goals for this student (Chanoch) , and he actually builds a city and names it as well Hanoch. were completely misplaced. Rather than attempting to see him walk away ( 4:17). Strange; though forced to wander, he builds a city? And why name it from first grade with a love of Torah, he first needed to discover a love for after his son? himself…. It’s hard to focus on the appropriate end goal, if you are missing The word Chanoch in the Torah also means education (as in “Chanoch the beginning …. la’naaar al pi darko” “ Educate a child according to what best suits him…” Endings and beginnings; where did it begin, and where will it end? On Proverbs (Mishlei) 22:6 ) . Simchat Torah, Judaism celebrates the conclusion of the weekly reading of Perhaps Kayin, after murdering his brother did not necessarily wander in the the entire Torah (the five books of Moses) with the reading of the last physical sense, but rather deep inside…. How does a man come to murder portion, Ve’zot Ha’Beracha. And then, just when we have finally finished, his own brother? The Torah does not actually specify the reason, but one before leaving our synagogues, we start all over again. Interestingly, rather imagines Kayin must have spent the rest of his life struggling with this than celebrate a beginning, we celebrate an ending and then a beginning, question. Perhaps Kayin names 3 his son, and even builds a city to promote which seems almost to deny the beginning its rightful celebratory place. the idea, that at the root of all our mistakes is the education we receive. It all Then, the following Shabbat, we indeed do begin again and read the entire begins and ends with education. first portion of Bereishit, to actually give the beginning of the Torah its due. In fact, the reason the Jewish people need to exist in their own land in the All of this seems to imply there is a deep connection between the end of the first place is because we are meant to educate the world; to be a role model Torah, Ve’zot Ha’Beracha, and its beginning portion Bereishit. But a closer of how society can be; something which cannot happen unless we are in our look at the content of these two portions, despite being the ‘bookends’of the own land, living according to our own system of behavioral norms and Torah, seems to bely this assumption. ethics. In order to be a role model for the world, we have to be visible; to be Ve’zot Ha’Beracha shares the final blessings of Moshe to the tribes as they seen. Part of a healthy education is the environment in which it takes place are about to enter the land of Israel, as well as the passing of leadership to and the ability to create healthy educational goals. And three thousand years ago, as the family of Yaakov was transformed into the nation of Israel it
7 needed to establish a society of ethics in the land G-d intended for us: the hav’arah is a somewhat lesser Torah transgression, only a regular lo saaseh. land of Israel. Because that is part of accomplishing the educational and (Certainly, we should treat it with full seriousness, even according to Rabbi transformational goal of the entire Torah. Yosi. The difference in practical halachah is that, according to Rabbi Yosi, Think about it: all the problems in the world today are rooted in education. one who violated hav’arah negligently does not bring a korban chatas as ISIS, the Iranians, Jewish assimilation, gun control, environmental atonement, whereas someone who transgressed negligently one of the other challenges, crime; they are all simply symptoms of educational challenges. melachos does.) Ban Ki Moon, the United Nations and the Europeans can preach the need Rabbi Nosson disagrees with Rabbi Yosi, contending that kindling is for us to sit down and discuss peace with the Arabs from here to eternity; as considered a regular melachah of Shabbos like all the others, but that long as the Arab schools are teaching their children to hate there is almost no hav’arah lechaleik yatzas, hav’arah is singled out to teach that the 39 point. Imagine a garden full of beautiful flowers that blossom and grow, only melachos of Shabbos are considered 39 different prohibitions. This means to die after a short time, because someone keeps watering them with acid. It that someone who violated more than one melachah on a single Shabbos is does not matter how beautiful the flowers (or ideas for peace) are, unless punished as if he had violated several prohibitions of the Torah. He might be someone changes the liquid (or education of their children) in the watering required to offer more than one chatas offering. can. Arabs are killing people and blowing themselves up all over the world The accepted halachah follows Rabbi Nosson, that kindling is considered a because they are being educated to hate and to murder; they are learning regular melachah of Shabbos. intolerance as children, something which is very difficult to undo. Injunctions because of hav’arah Although we are all aware that it is Incidentally this is something the Allies seemed to understand at the end of prohibited to kindle or to increase a flame on Shabbos, we may not realize World War II: they refused to accept anything less than unconditional that many of the regulations that we observe on Shabbos were established by surrender, because there was no one to talk to. And after the war both in Chazal out of concern that someone not violate the prohibition of hav’arah. Germany and in Japan, they took over the schools and excised hatred and For example, the reason that we use a blech to warm food on Shabbos or to intolerance and Aryan supremacy from the educational system. This is why, keep it warm is because Chazal prohibited using an open fire for these seventy years later, with all the challenges we face we are still at peace with purposes. This would involve two different rabbinic prohibitions, that of Germany and Japan. Nazi ideology and Japan’s imperial dictatorship needed chazarah, returning food to a fire on Shabbos, and shehiyah, leaving food to to be obliterated, and only when children started learning tolerance and peace cook or keep warm from before Shabbos on an open flame. Chazal were they ready to live it. Perhaps this year as we celebrate this incredible prohibited shehiyah because of concern that someone might mistakenly stoke recipe we call the Torah and engage again in its magnificent messages and coals. According to some authorities, the prohibition of chazarah was also so goals, it is time to consider whether the battles on the battlefield need to be that someone warming his food on Shabbos not err and inadvertently stoke accompanied by a ‘takeover’ in the classrooms as well…. the coals of the flame. Similarly, Chazal prohibited hatmanah, wrapping or Wishing a Shabbat Shalom, from Jerusalem insulating hot food before Shabbos in a way that increases the heat on Binny Freedman Shabbos. All of these are prohibited because of concerns that one may ______mistakenly stoke a flame on Shabbos (Shabbos 34b; Tosafos, Shabbos 36b s.v. lo). from: Rabbi Kaganoff
8 Similarly, accepted practice was to allow people to read from a machzor on avodah, which connotes hard work, but melachah, which implies purpose Yom Kippur by lamplight, since the fear of Yom Kippur will remind a and accomplishment. Shabbos is a day that we refrain from constructing and person not to errantly adjust the lamp (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim altering the world for our own purposes. The goal of Shabbos is to allow 275:8). Hashem’s rule to be the focus of creation, by refraining from our own Candlelight Is reading by the light of a candle the same as reading by the creative acts (Shemos 20:11). light of an oil lamp? Are we less concerned that someone will attempt to ______adjust a candle to provide better light? Indeed, we find a dispute among early authorities whether one may read by candlelight on Shabbos, some contending that it is unlikely that someone would mistakenly adjust this lighting (Hagahos Ashri, Shabbos 1:27; Beis Yosef, Shulchan Aruch and commentaries, Orach Chayim 275; Taz, Orach Chayim 278). The prevalent custom is to be lenient (see Biur Halachah 275:1 s.v. le’or). Therefore, we may certainly be lenient regarding electric lights, although there are individuals who follow a stringent position even in this regard. Those who follow this stricter approach assign someone to be the shomer of the Beis Medrash – his job is to not learn and to be responsible that no one inadvertently try to adjust the lights. What is burning? We find a very interesting dispute between acharonim concerning what is the definition of the melachah of mav’ir: is it the increase of the fire or is it the consumption of fuel? Some contend that the melachah is the creation or increase of the fire or flame (Graz, Orach Chayim 495 in Kuntros Acharon), whereas others dispute this analysis and define the melachah as the consumption of fuel that transpires when a flame burns (Shu”t Avnei Neizer, Orach Chayim 238:8). Although this dispute seems like a theoretical and almost philosophic debate, there seems to be a difference in halachah that is contingent on this dispute. Does heating metal to a glow involve the melachah of hav’arah? If hav’arah is defined as the consumption of fuel, then the heating of metal, which does not create any noticeable destruction of fuel, should not violate hav’arah. On the other hand, if hav’arah is defined as the increase of a flame, then heating metal should violate hav’arah. This could perhaps explain a dispute between the Rambam and the Raavad (Hilchos Shabbos 12:1) whether heating metal is prohibited because it is considered hav’arah or because it is included under the melachah of bishul, cooking, but it is not considered hav’arah. This dispute could then affect what melachah is involved when turning on an incandescent light. According to those who consider heating metal to be bishul, then this would violate bishul, whereas according to those who categorize heating metal as hav’arah, then turning on an incandescent light is included under the melachah of hav’arah. There are a few practical differences that result from this dispute, but, unfortunately, explaining this will take us far afield from our topic. (This is without getting involved in the separate dispute as to whether use of electricity violates the melachos of either boneh [constructing] or makeh bepatish [completing an item].) Out of order At this point, let us explain the second of our opening questions: “Why did the Mishnah mention that extinguishing, mechabeh, is a melachah before it mentions that kindling, mav’ir, is a melachah?” When the Mishnah lists the 39 melachos, it mentions extinguishing before it mentions kindling. Is this not counter-logical, since it is difficult to extinguish a fire unless someone has previously kindled it? Among the various standard commentaries, I found two approaches to answer this question. The Meiri explains that when preparing a vat dye, you sometimes need to lower the flame so that the dye does not burn and then you need to increase the size of the fire afterwards. Lowering such a flame on Shabbos would violate extinguishing, and increasing the heat of the fire afterwards is included under the Torah’s prohibition of mav’ir. Since the preparation of dye in the construction of the Mishkan involved extinguishing before kindling, the Mishnah mentions the two melachos in this order. (An alternative answer is mentioned by the Tiferes Yisroel in his Kalkeles Shabbos introduction to Mesechta Shabbos, Meleches Mav’ir #37). In conclusion Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch (Shemos 20:10) notes that people mistakenly think that work is prohibited on Shabbos in order that it should be a day of rest. He points out that the Torah does not prohibit doing
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